Door construction for freight containers



Feb. 2, 1937. B. F. FITCH DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR FREIGHT CONTAINERS FiledSept. 19, 1953 3 Sheets-Shea? l 1937. B. F. FITCH DOOR CONSTRUCTION FORFREIGHT CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 19, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 2, 1937.B. F. FITCH DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR FREIGHT CONTAINERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Sept. 19, 1933 m 2 $2512 r /Zz MOI/MAM.

Patented Feb. 2, 1937 iJNi'iiI. STES 'i' FFICE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FORFREIGHT CONTAINERS Application September 19, 1933, Serial No. 690,105

10 Claims.

A system of handling package freight by means of demountable bodieswhich may be carried on highway trucks or on vessels and lifted intactwith their loads to a railway car for intermediate 5 railtransportation, and thereafter transferred 20 to the interior.

ily opened at will.

demountable body having side doors embodying at the distant end to atruck or vessel for ultimate delivery, has many advantages, reducing thecost of shipping from oonsignor to consignee, reducing the timeinvolved, and reducing the loss due to pilferage or breakage.

In a system of this kind it is important that door openings to thecontainers, preferably on both the sides and the ends, be of wideextent, to enable ready loading or unloading, and at the same time thatthe doors which are preferably hinged to the body and act to close suchopenings should make tight connections with the door jambs when thedoors are closed, but must be readily openable whenever desired to allowaccess Such doors must likewise be strong and firm to prevent warping orsagging of the door itself, and must be able to resist the internalimpact liable to happen from the shifting of the load in transit.

The primary object. of the present invention is to provide a hinged doorconstruction so arranged that when the door is closed it shallautomatically form a weathertight connection at both the top and thebottom, though it may be read- I accomplish this by so hinging the doorthat it is capable of a limited vertical movement, and I arrange theupper and lower ends of the door and the corresponding portions of thedoor jamb to form seats which are engaged consequent upon such verticalmovement of the door. My invention also provides spring means to liftthe door automatically when closed to causev its engagement with theseats.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means forautomatically holding the door open, when swung into that position,until it is desired to close it.

The invention is hereinafter more fully explained in connection with apreferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings, and theessential novel features are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a the invention; Fig. 2is an end view of such body showing an end door also embodying theinvention; Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are vertical sections on the lines S3 onFig. 2, but intermediately broken away, Fig. 3 showing the door in itsnormal elevated or closed position; Fig. 4, in the lower position readyfor opening; Fig. 5 in a position at right angles to the body wallduring opening, and Fig. 6 in the completely opened position. Fig. 7 isa horizontal section, intermediately broken away, through the doors, asindicated by the line il on Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectionillustrating the open position of an end door made of two hinged panels;Fig. 9 is a detail in elevation of the upper portion of one of the doorswhen completely closed; Fig. 10 is a similar elevation when the door isshut, but lowered for opening; Fig. 11 is a similar view showing thedoor fully open; Figs. 12 and 13 are details of the upper portion of thedoor, being vertical sections on the correspondingly numbered lines onFigs. 11 and 5, respectively; Figs. 14 and 15 are vergtical sections,intermediately broken away,

through the door and the adjacent portions of g the container, asindicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 2; Fig. 16 is adetail in vertical section on the line 16-45 in Fig. 15.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a demountable body having a floor framel0, side walls I l, narrow end walls l2, and a roof l3. Each side isprovided with a pair of lift hooks 14, extending above the caves andsuitably braced by extension straps and inclined braces secured to thebody sides, as indicated at l5.

Each side of the body is provided with a central doorway between theregion of the lift members, adapted to be closed by a pair of hingeddoors 25. Likewise, each end is provided with a doorway which is onlyslightly smaller than the transverse internal dimension of thecontainer. This doorway is preferably occupied by a pair of hingeddoors, each comprising panels 2! and 22, hinged together at 23 so thatwhen open the outer portion may swing onto the side of the body, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 8.

The present invention, which is concerned with the means for effecting atight seating of the door when closed, While allowing it to be readilyopened, is equally applicable to the single panel door 20, shown at theside of the car, or to the double panel door 2|, 22, shown at the end. Iwill first describe the end door construction, which is shown in variousdetail views in the drawings.

Substantially the same description will apply to the side door, exceptas to the mutual hinging of the two panels 2i and 22 together, and as tothe external bracing, neither of which features is necessary ordesirable in the case of aside door.

The floor frame IU of the body comprises end and longitudinal sills andsuitable internal bracing. An end sill is shown in Figs. 3 to 6 in theform of a channel 30. A lower layer of flooring 3| rests on this endsill. The bottom member of the door jamb in the form of a Z-bar Ml issecured to the channel 30 and extends across the edge of the plankinglayer 3!, and then inwardly at ll on top of that layer, then upwardly at42 along the edge of a sunnounting layer of planking 32. The extremeedge of this door jamb member is bent downwardly as shown at 43, for apurpose hereinafter described.

Over the end doorway is a metal sheet it, which forms a portion of theend wall, lying in the same plane with the narrow vertical portions l2.This top end wall near its lower edge carries the upper door jamb, whichis made of a bent piece of sheet metal embracing the lower edge of thesheet I6 and providing a downwardly facing door seat. This piece ofsheet metal, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, has a portion 50 on the outerside of the plate I 6 and is then doubled back on itself around thelower end of the plate E6 to provide a portion 5! bearing against'theinner face of the plate l6. Then there is a horizontally extendingportion 52 and finally a downwardly ex tending flange 53. This inwardlyextending portion of the jamb is braced by an angle bar 55, engaging'theinner surface of the sheet it and the top of the jamb portion 52. On theouter side of the body in this locality is a reinforcing member 51 inthe form of a horizontal ZI-bar having a downward flange 58 and anupward flange 59. The parts described are all riveted together, the samerivets being shown as passing through the upper flange 59 of the Z-bar5i, thence through the jamb portion 58, thence through the plate It, andfinally through the angle bar 55. The construction described makes avery stiff brace for the lower end of the end wall l6, extending fromside to side of the body above the wide door opening.

The end walls l2 of the body heretofore referred to comprise outersheets which are connected to the sides H by vertical corner angle barsl8. The end sheets l2 are also braced by inner sheets Bil, Fig. 8, whichare flanged at their outer ends 6| and secured to the body sides H andthen near their inner ends bend inwardly at 62 and finally flanged at 63into the plane of the sheet I2. Then I add a sheet 65, which is rivetedto the outer side of the sheet 2 at its inner edge, passes over theflange 53, and then is doubled back onto the rear face of that flangeand finally lies alongside of the portion 612 of the plate 60, as shownat 66. This additional plate 85 and plate 50 are preferably welded orotherwise secured together.

It will be seen that the construction just described makes a firmvertical end wall for the body at either side of the door opening,which, likewise, by reason of the flange 63 and the doubled over portion65, provides a peculiar door jamb having a lip extending across the dooropening, the door being arranged to seat in a recess behind this lip. Itwill be observed that the complete door jambprovides one form of seat atthe two vertical sides of the doorway, a different form of seat at thebottom, and a still different form at the top. The door is so formed andmounted that it may coact with these special seats as about to bedescribed.

As heretofore mentioned, I have shown at the end of the containerarticulated doors, each-of which comprises a narrow panel 2i, hinged tothe body, and a wider panel 22, hinged at 23 to the narrower panel. Thehinge comprises a member 78, secured to the end wall and havin avertical socket ll and a member M secured to the door panel and having adownwardly extending pin 15 rigid with the strap 14 and 00- cupying thesocket H. The pin l5, however, is slidable axially in the socket, aswell as rotatable, and does not entirely fill the socket. The spacebeneath the pin is occupied by a compression spring l6, bearing upwardlyagainst the lower face of the pin. The door is thus hingedly mounted onthe body, but is capable of a slight upward or downward movement, and isnormally retained in its upward position by the springs it. I have shownthree hinges for each door, the construction of all of them beingsubstantially identical. 7

The hinge axis is located in front of the projecting lip 63, 65, somedistance back of the door panel 2 I ,when open, as shown in Fig. 8, withthe result that when the door is closed, the extreme edge of it extendsbehind the lip 63, 65. As shown in Fig. 8, the door panel 2! is boundedat its extreme edge by a reinforcing member in the form of a channelembracing the edge of the door. This reinforcing member has a flange Blprojecting from it at right angles to the door. When the door is closed,the face 82 of the reinforcing member engages the inner face of the doorjamlo member 65, while the projecting flange 8i comes into contact withthe rounded portion of the member (55, where it is doubled on itself. I

This makes a very tight connection when the door is closed.

On the outer face of the door near the top is secured a horizontal rod90, which forms a bead or molding on the outer face of the door near thetop. Along the bottom of the door is a flat strip fil, which projectsinwardly from the door and then is bent diagonally upwardly. When thedoor is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, the springs l6 press thedoor upwardly so that the bead 98 makes a snug engagement with thedoubled over edge of the top reinforcing member 59,

while the inclined projection of the plate 9! makes a substantiallyclose connection with the down-turned flange 43 of the base door jamb.Accordingly, access of water is prevented either at the top or bottom ofthe door. At the same time the side edges of the door are behind thevertical lips 65 with the Vertical flange 81 engaging the edge of suchlip. The result is that a tight connection is made at the top and bottomand hinged edge of the door.

When the door is pulled down against the action of the springs E6 on thehinge pins the extreme top of the door, which preferably comprises arounded rub strip 92 on top of the door boundary member, is lower thanthe top door jamb in front of the channel portion 52, 53. At the sametime the bottom flange 9i is freed from the door jamb flange 43. Thisenables the door to be swung open, the rub strip sliding along thelowermost portion of the outer reinforcing memher 5%.

To enable the door to be readily lowered from its elevated or closedposition shown in Fig. 3, I form the hinge straps "M with projectingportions 38, terminating in flanges 79. These flanges in case of thetopmost hinges, form handholds, while at the bottom the flanges formfoot-rests with the result that the attendant may readily put his wholeweight on the door adjacent the hinge. This is amply sufficient toovercome the force of the springs I6, and thereby results in loweringthe door so that its upper and lower edge will be free from the top andbottom door jamb, as described.

To hold the door in its open position, I provide a plate 95, secured tothe outer face of the door, or to an upper extension of the hinge strap14, this plate inclining outwardly, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and alsohaving an inclined top edge 96, downwardly from the hinge axis, asillustrated in Fig. 9 for instance. When the door is closed, the member95 extends into the downwardly facing recess provided by the reinforcingZ-bar 51, shown in Fig. 3. When the door is lowered for purposes ofopening, as shown in Fig. 4, the member 95 clears the Z-bar flange. Thenas the door is being swung open the inclined edge 96 comes intoengagement with the bottom of the flange 58 as shown in Fig. 5, andfinally when the door becomes completely open, the higher portion of theinclined edge extends behind the flange 58, as shown in Fig. 6. Thisengagement is sufficient to hold the door open against inadvertentdisplacement; but at any time it is desired to close the door, asuitable force applied as a jerk to it will cause the inclined edge 96,reacting on a flange 58, to cam the door downwardly until the plate 95has cleared the flange 58, thus enabling the closing of the door.

It will be apparent from the description before given that when the dooris closed it makes a tight connection with the jamb at the top andbottom and hinged edge. To prevent access of moisture at the freemeeting edges of the door, as well as to firmly lock them closed, Iprovide a locking post overlapping the two doors and engaging keepers atits upper and lower end. As shown in Figs. '7 and 14, this locking postis constructed according to my application No. 689,231, filed Sept. 13,1933, to which reference is made for fuller description.

Briefly, the locking post is made of a pair of main angle bars I securedtogether back to back, and a pair of supplemental angle bars IBI securedto the outer faces of inwardly extending portions of the angle bars I00.Mounted in the recesses provided by the parallel freely projectingflanges of the angle bars I 00 and IOI are bolts I05, which are retainedin place by vertical angle plates I06. The upper ends of the bolts arebent outwardly to form handles, as illustrated. Near its upper end, thelocking post has a pair of projecting tongues I08. When the post is inplace, these tongues project behind the body flange 58 and the bolts Imay extend downwardly into a keeper I09, secured to the floor-frame.

The free edge of the door is embraced by a channel-shaped boundarymember 84, similar to the member 80, heretofore described, and having aflange 85 projecting on the outer face of the door. When the doors areclosed, as shown in Fig. '7, the inward flanges of the post I00 extendbetween the doors, while the lateral flanges IOI seat against the twoboundary members 84 between the flanges 85 thereof, and thus aweathertight connection is made over the meeting edges of the doors.

The description above given of the hinge mounting of the door panels 2|and the locking post I00 for the free edges of the doors, appliesequally well to the side doors 20. In fact, the only difference in thedoors is in the matter of dimensions, and the fact that the end doorsare articulated by the intermediate hinge 23. In the case of both theside doors and end doors, leakage to the interior of the body at anypoint in the boundary of the door is effectively prevented. Theoverhanging lips and door flanges at the hinged edges make a tightconnection in that location whenever the door is closed, while theupward pressure of the door already described closes it at the top andbottom against the respective door jambs, and the locking post justdescribed prevents any access of water at the meeting edges of the twodoors.

The panel hinge 23 on the end door is shown as formed by alternatelyoffset ears on boundary members 86 on the two panels, joined by acontinuous pintle. When the doors are closed, the outer faces of suchboundary members terminated by the flanges 81 thereof form seats forremovable brace bars H0, Figs. 2, 7, l5 and 16. These brace bars at theupper end extend behind the flanges 58 and at their lower ends extendinto keepers II2, secured to the base frame of the body. The keeper 1 I2is shown in Figs. and 16 as having a front and top flange with a notchH9 therein, through which the lower end of the brace bar may enter, thiskeeper housing a sliding bolt I I5, which is adapted to be movedlongitudinally over the face of the seated brace bar. The upper end ofthe brace bar is inserted behind the top flange 58, and the bar is thenseated between the channels 81 and swung through the notch I I4 and thebolt H5 shoved across the face of the brace bar, after which the bar islowered into the position shown in Fig. 16 Similar additional verticalbraces may be employed to brace the wide panels 22, as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be seen that the vertical brace bars I I0, together with thekeepers therefor and the seats on the door panels, not only firmly bracethe doors, but provide weather-tight protection for the mutual hinge ofthe door panels. While this feature is shown and described herein, it isclaimed in my copending application No. 689,230, flled September 13,1933. That same application claims also the door made of hinged panels,as herein shown, and the weather-tight seating arrangement both at themutual hinge between the panels, and also at the hinged edge of thedoor, that is to say, the body lip extending across the outer face ofthe closed door. The present invention is concerned with the raisablehinged door, which may be swung freely to open and close the door, andwhen closed will make tight connections with the door jamb, and whenopen will remain in that position as long as desired.

I claim:

1. The combination of a container having a door hinged to it on avertical axis, a keeper on the container above the doorway, an upwardprojection on the door adapted to engage such keeper when the door isopen and elevated, and a spring tending to maintain the door elevated.

2. The combination of a container having a doorway, a door hingedthereto in a manner to allow some vertical movement, a spring tending toraise the door, an inclined projection on the exterior of the dooradjacent the top, a ledge on the container adapted to be engaged by saidinclined projection when the door is open, the projection passing behindthe ledge to maintain the door in open position until a requisite forceis applied to the door, whereupon the inclined projection will cam thedoor downwardly and free it.

3. The combination of a container having a doorway, a Z-bar securedhorizontally to the wall of the container above the doorway, said Z-barhaving its free flange projecting downwardly, a

door hinged to the container on a vertical axis but in a manner toenable the door to have some vertical movement, a spring tending toraise the door into engagement with the container adjacent the top ofthe door when the door is closed, and a projection on the outer face ofthe door adapted to come behind the Z-bar when the door is open.

4. In a container having a floor and a door opening extending thereto, adoor adapted tococupy the opening, and means for raising the door whenclosed, the combination of means including cooperating verticallyabutting surfaces between the base of the door and the lower portion ofthe opening below the upper surface of the floor, the surfaces beingbrought into cooperative re.- lationship consequent upon raising thedoor in such closed position.

5. In a freight container, having a freight receiving opening, a frametherefor and a door hinged to the frame on a vertical axis and movablevertically in its own plane when in closed position, the combination ofsealing means at the top and bottom of the frame and respectivelycooperating sealing means on the door, the latter operatingsimultaneously consequent upon raising the door to effect weather-tightlabyrinth joints above and below the opening.

6. In a freight container having a door frame, forming afreight-receiving opening, a door hinged to the container on a verticalaxis in a manner to close the opening, said door being verticallyshiftable in closed position and having a spring to shift it, thecombination of a bead on the outer surface of the door and means on thecontainer adapted to overlap the upper margin of the door and abut thebead when the door is raised in said closed position.

7. The combination of a container having a doorway, a door hinged to thecontainer in a manner enabling it to swing into and out of the doorwayand also have a certain vertical movement when in the doorway, means toraise the door, an inwardly projecting member on the door adjacent thebottom thereof, and an outwardly projecting member carried by the bodyadjacent the floor below the level of the floor surface and adapted tooverlie such inwardly projecting member when the door is closed and beengaged by it when the door is raised.

8. In a portable freight container having an opening through which thecontainer is loaded and unloaded, a door hinged at one side of theopening and swingable outwardly to open position on hinges permittingthe door to be moved in a vertical plane when closed, means for raisingthe door in closed position, and cooperating means at the top of theopening behind which the upper marginal edge of the door is entirelyconcealed from outside the container in such raised and closed positionof the door.

9. A container having a floor, and walls with a doorway, a door hingedto the container in a manner to enable it to have a certain verticalmovement when closed, and means to raise the door while in closedposition, said floor having two layers of planking, the upper layer setback from the lower, a plate overlying the projecting portion of thelower layer and extending vertically along the edge of the upper layerand at its top turned downward, and a projecting plate on the bottom ofthe door having an upwardly directed inner edge adapted to come behindthe downwardly directed portion of the first mentioned plate and overlapthe same when the door is raised.

10. In a container having a doorway the upper limit of which comprises ahorizontal channel having downwardly projecting flanges, a door hingedto the container in such manner that when closed the upper edge of thedoor is in vertical alignment with the channel space between theflanges, means for raising the door when closed to cause the upper edgeof the door to be embraced by the flanges, and vertically abutting meansoperated by the raising movement of the door to make a vertically tightconnection at the bottom of the door.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH.

